7
Ruby admitted there might be something to thisrestthing. Especially if a couple of explosive orgasms followed by a night of snuggling with Ace—who was essentially the equivalent of a very sexy, very muscular, very toasty, life-sized stuffie that hugged back—counted. If he were a cartoon he’d be a golden retriever who also knew a thousand ways to murder his enemies but preferred to lick his friends instead. Literally.
He might be dangerous to criminals, but to her… Okay, so he was probably also hazardous to her heart. Now that she’d had a taste of what things could be like between them, it might kill her if she didn’t experience more sexy times and a deepening emotional connection to go with them soon.
Still, she’d already made two important unlocks since she’d rejoined JRad in the command center. And was about to…aha! “I’ve got it, JRad. I know what they fucked up.”
Even better, she thought the answer gave her a clue as to their identities.
“You do?” He swiveled to face her briefly before turning back to his screen. “Show me, please? My brain is melting trying to figure it out.”
Ruby laughed. She actually fucking cracked up. In the middle of the madness and amidst the highest stakes of her career, she felt like she was on some ridiculous high. “Maybe I should make you wait as payback for siccing Liam on me last night.”
“Are you going to try to tell me you didn’t enjoy whatever happened after they dragged you out of this room?” JRad raised a brow at her, his full authority mode aimed in her direction.
“We both know that would be a lie, even if it wasn’t exactly how I’d imagined it might go…”
“They need time. Especially Liam. He hasn’t fully accepted his nature yet.” JRad shook his head. “It’s not easy to balance your need to be in control with life’s uncertainties. He’s running scared.”
“Liam isn’t afraid of anything.” Ruby scoffed at the mere idea.
“He’s terrified of Ace. Well, I should say he’s freaked out by the thought of being unable to prevent something bad happening to the guy. I’m sure adding you to the mix isn’t going to make his possessive instincts settle down either. I’d like to be wrong about this, but prepare yourself, because I think things are going to get worse before they get better.” JRad was serious then. “But I’ll say this, I believe they’re decent guys even if they have no idea what the hell they’re doing with each other—or you—yet. I’m always here if you need to talk. So is Lily if you prefer a woman’s perspective.”
Maybe on her next break she’d take him up on that and call his wife. Lily sure knew a hell of a lot more about men and what drove them than Ruby did. “Thanks, I think I might do that.”
“How long have you been into them?” JRad asked, without a doubt it was true.
“A while.” She shrugged.
“Oh so you’re finally admitting it?” James asked as he joined them in the command center, looking like he’d had plenty of “rest” himself. Between his husband, wife, and the remainder of his crew…he probably had.
“Shut up.” Ruby put her face in her hand.
“You’ve made more progress in a single day than me, Sola, Kennedy, and Laurel have in months of trying to knock some sense into these three.” James hopped up on the table, his feet swinging as he teased her, and JRad grinned.
They probably would have relented and ended up giving her some high-fives before she dove into demonstrating her findings for JRad if James hadn’t sat up straight right then. “Uh oh.”
“I hateuh ohs.” JRad grimaced.
Tavish went over to the window and groaned. “Double uh oh.Looks like someone’s about to get their ass kicked.”
JRad and Ruby ripped their headphones off and stood so they could see whatever it was that James, Tavish, and Legend were staring at. When she moved toward the window, she got a glimpse of Liam and Ace facing off in the parking lot. From the way Liam bristled, and Ace flung his hands in every direction while he shouted, Ace was confronting his partner. And she had no misconceptions about what. “Oh no. No, no, no.”
“What the hell are they doing outside, distracted as fuck?” JRad growled. He turned to Ruby and shook his head. “I take it back, they might not be ready for you yet.”
“This is probably my fault.” James winced. “They were arguing in the lobby when I passed them and I was afraid Ruby might hear, so I told them to knock it off or take it outside. I didn’t mean literally.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I thought they’d head to the gym to work out their aggression.”
They might have let the two men hash out their issues, except just then Ace’s fists balled. Ruby couldn’t hear what he was yelling, but she’d never seen him angry like that before. Her instincts kicked in. He’d been there for her, to comfort her when she’d been attacked and also last night. No way was she going to let him stand on his own, especially if he was taking up for her along with himself.
Nor did she care to be the reason these two best friends developed some kind of unhealable rift. Not happening.
She bolted for the door, her hair bouncing against her back and the top of her ass as she sprinted toward the disaster unfolding in the rear parking lot.
“Ruby, wait!” JRad hollered, and James called after them as he too joined the parade of people intending to intercept the partners, who seemed on the verge of beating the shit out of each other.
When Ruby burst from the door, she immediately wished she still had her headphones on to avoid hearing the accusations Liam and Ace flung at each other.